Elderly cat and putting to sleep, finding the sweet spot to do it.

[skillsset]

Our old girl is 18. She’s extremely thin now and does not groom, she’s quite tatty. She yowls a lot, often sits and stares at a
walls, sleeps in odd places. She frequently looks just miserable, has difficulty climbing the fence to get out of the garden so poops in our garden, often getting it on her feet and walking it all through the house.

She eats well though and enjoys a fuss, purring away. I think that’s her only pleasure in all honesty, just eating.

I’m concerned as we are due to move house in a month. We’ve never moved with her before, she’s been in this house her whole life. I’m not sure how she’ll cope transitioning back to a litter tray while we keep her in. She will have to be confined to the kitchen for few weeks in case she decides to bolt. The new house down have high fences so hopefully she may be able to go into the garden if we are present.

My sensible side is thinking to have her PTS just before we move to save her the confusion and upset of the move. On the other hand it feels like we are treating her as a disposable object that needs to be got rid of before we move. Our adult children already think we are being unreasonable to move whilst the pets are still alive but that’s how it’s worked out - they have both left home and they won’t take her.

Horrible decision, I don’t think she has too much time left but as she’s eating I think she may go on a while.

I think you’re right. You don’t want it to be as an emergency or on her worst day. Let her eat what she wants and then go peacefully

I think in this situation I would PTS.

Moving can be stressful for cats.

See if you can get one of those mobile vets to come to your home to do it. We had one for one our our elderly ladies and it was much easier on her, being in familiar surroundings.

My vet said she’s never met someone who regretted doing it too soon, but she’s met plenty who did it too late. For her wellbeing its better to do it before disruption starts

The upheaval of the move will not be nice for such a frail cat, you would be unfair to put her through that. I heard a vet say it's better to put a cat to sleep a day too early than a day too late, which I think is very good guidance. It doesn't sound as if her quality of life is great and it could rapidly decline. It's a horrible decision to make, but you need to do the merciful thing.

Even without the move I was on the side of PTS. Always better a day too early than a day too late. Why make them suffer when you can let them go peacefully in your arms?

If you think your kids will be horrible about it telling them she died in her sleep.

I kept my 18 1/2 year old magnificent cat alive too long. I had to give him meds 2 x per day. He miaoued all night, he was very thin. But we loved him. I took him to the vet - 20 years ago - no home visits then - and the vet said if he was my boy I’d let him go. So I did, there and then. I hope he didn’t suffer too much and I remember him now as the fine prince he was. With love. But I wouldn’t lie to your children, they have to learn about life and death.

Cats don’t really show how much pain they are in and only go off their food and change their habits when they’re in extremis. My poor old guy had an enormous tumor when we put him to sleep and it still haunts me that I waited too long.

OP, remember your cat has no concept of tomorrow. All she knows is the present. If you arranged for her to be PTS tomorrow, she would not know anything about it, you would not be depriving her of anything and you might be sparing her pain.

There is no right time, once the decision is made it’s best done.

Me too, she sounds really unhappy already. I would have her PTS sooner rather then later as even the prep for the move is likely to cause her distress too.

Always better to PTS a few weeks early than a few hours too late.

I think your suggestion is the right one.
My similar aged one (had sudden sight loss), she was blissfully unaware and was happily eating an entire bag of value prawns - as she passed…